NASA Approves Initial Funding for a Submarine to Titan

Saw some interesting news. NASA has initial funding for a submarine to one of Saturn's moon Titan. What are the chances that we find the first case
of life outside the earth in the solar system? I am going to be keeping an eye on this for a long time to come. Do you think this will get full
funding?

A robot submarine for exploring the methane oceans of Saturn's giant moon, Titan, a greenhouse on Mars and a spacecraft that hitches rides on
comets to the outer solar system are just three of the far-out ideas NASA is backing in its latest round of funding for the distant future of space
exploration. Each year NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) programme asks researchers to submit ideas for space technology that could prove
useful in the next few decades. Last year selections included two-dimensional spacecraft and suspended animation. This time NIAC has chosen 12
projects, each of which will receive $100,000 for a nine-month study, with the possibility of another $500,000 for further research if the idea checks
out. The scheme lets researchers dream up missions to places we have never been before. "The hydrocarbon lakes on TitanMovie Camera are unique in
the solar system," says Steven Oleson of NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, who is leading a proposal for an autonomous submarine to
explore their depths. "Besides Earth, there are really no other exposed liquids." Some hope that life may have taken root in and around those lakes,
though it would be nothing like life on Earth.

a reply to: Misinformation
Not sure. Titan is perhaps the only one of the places in the solar system capable of supporting some kind of life. Sending a satellite to Titan is
probably a logical step before they send a submarine probe into one of its lakes. This would probably be send well into the late 20's to 40's. The
video claims probably in the 40's.

a reply to: Snarl
I take offense to that as an engineer. R&D and space are wonderful to invest money in. Why? Because it generates jobs and actually helps the GDP. For
every dollar we spend on NASA we get a benefit of 7. Please, let's not make this a political discussion.

Analyses of the macroeconomic effects of the U.S. space program attempt to identify and measure that portion of economic growth attributable to
technological progress. A Midwest Research Institute (MRI) study of the relationship between R&D expenditures and technology-induced increases in GNP
indicated that each dollar spent on R&D returns an average of slightly over seven dollars in GNP over an eighteen-year period following the
expenditure (3). Assuming that NASA's R&D expenditures produce the same economic payoff as the average R&D expenditure, MRI concluded that the $25
billion (1958) spent on civilian space R&D during the 1959-69 period returned $52 billion through 1970 and will continue to stimulate benefits through
1987, for a total gain of $181 billion.

Very cool, I was wondering why we haven't sent a mobile probe earlier.

And also from reading the article I gather that this would be a three fold probe, one two be a satellite, one to charge the vehicle, and a submarine
that is very shielded.

I think this is one of the most likely places to find rudementary life and so of course support this course of action, this may very prove if life is
possible elsewhere where personal belief is just that...

Cassini isnt orbit around Titan , it orbits Saturn ...if their getting such fantastic pictures of Titan to base a submarine mission off of , then
they must be lying about photographic capabilities of these various probes in orbit

originally posted by: Snarl
Another frikkin waste of coin. It's the people who come up with these bright ideas who 'should' be populating the rosters of the unemployed. Them
... and their bosses.

Yeah, but engineers need something to keep them employed. If not, they'd be wandering around the world selling their skills to the highest bidders,
and there are some countries who have other uses for rockets and submarines in mind than some harmless trip to Saturn.

It's expensive, sure. And pretty much a waste of time and money. But we got more time and money than we know what to do with anyway. What else are
you going to do with it? Give more of it to people so they can sit around and breed?

a reply to: Snarl
Look, I completely agree with reigning in spending. I am a big believer at cutting govt expenses. However, since NASA basically pays for itself and
increases our understanding of the universe, I am completely against stopping funding to them. You don't understand how R&D works. It is what makes
the US rich. Innovation comes from everywhere. NASA barely uses up 20 billion dollars vs defense 700 billion or welfare programs that take up the
majority of our budget.
Without producing economic activity there cannot be any growth. We cannot be a nation of consumers.

I say build a dozen and drop them all over Titan. If six of them make it, and go up and running, what a nice use of money and brainpower. With just
one, I hope it works, and hopefully they will tinker with it so it will be A.I. and, you know, go all Kraken Project on us.

I think it's a great idea. The R&D will lead to jobs, boost the economy, and maybe even contribute to Space infrastructure development. Think of it
this way, we are STILL benefiting from technology(ies) developed during the Apollo era. Any tech developed for Space tech I'm all for it. The new
technologies that have to be developed for our next round of Space exploration will be mind blowing and world changing.

Recycling technologies for air and water
3D printing technologies for housing, food, and medical
new propulsion technologies that don't use fossil fuels
cryogenics tech for long trips
communications tech for the vast distances of deep space
and more....

All of these technologies will move into the private sector and improve our lives for the better. See where I'm going with this? This may seem like
a waste of resources but it really isn't and once you look at the benefits to society you'll see why.

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